


Not What It Seems

by JeanneRiddle



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Baby Murder, Eventual Smut, F/M, Female Sherlock Holmes, Swan Lake - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-17
Updated: 2020-11-09
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:21:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,660
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27462613
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JeanneRiddle/pseuds/JeanneRiddle
Summary: Wolfguard Carlton Holmes the Third was a good King, beloved by everyone in his kingdom. His family was thriving and on the day he celebrated his first daughter's birth with the world, he came to the agreement with a neighboring Queen that their children should spend every summer together in hopes that her son and his daughter would fall in love. His luck had run dry, because Sherlock Holmes and John Watson were about as different as any two children could be.
Relationships: Sherlock Holmes/John Watson
Kudos: 2





	Not What It Seems

"John!" Queen Amanda of Summerdale called sweetly. "Come, sweetheart, we have some very important guests coming today and I need you by my side to greet them."

John, the little prince in question, hurried next to the volumes of his mother's skirt, holding onto some of the fabric to stay close. It was his favorite dress for his mother to wear. It was made of velvet and the soft texture was always soothing to him. He followed her as she strode regally to the front steps of the palace just beyond the second courtyard. She was gazing off towards the stairs of the first courtyard, expecting someone to come up those steps, he was sure.

"Mama, who's coming?" he asked, looking up at her with creased brows. It was indeed very rare for them to greet anybody at the steps of the palace. Most guests had to petition an audience to meet with his mother, even when Lord Lestrade, his mother's advisor, returned from his travels, the man would meet her in the throne room.

"The future queen of this kingdom and her father, John." Amanda answered, gently smoothing down the colic at the base of his neck. He gave a small sigh at her grooming him, not paying much mind to her answer.

"What's their names?" He prodded again.

"King Wolfguard Carlton Holmes the Third and Princess Willow Sherlock Scotland Holmes of the Kingdom of Angelo." Queen Amanda replied, and as if summoned, a crown started to appear from the steps, then a man, then a little girl. She was definitely younger than John, but she looked incredibly scary with the scowl on her face and her bloodshot eyes. John swallowed thickly before his mother's first statement about this guests came to mind. Horror crossed his face as he looked up at his mother. This terrifying little girl was to be his bride? Sure, that was still years off as he was seven, but this was just too much. 

"Amanda, it's a pleasure to see you, thank you for your hospitality. I know this was rather unexpected." The man greeted, he looked very tired to John. 

"Not at all, Wolfguard. I'm only too happy to help. I know we didn't plan on introducing the two of them this early, but I can be flexible, especially in light of what has happened." Amanda assured before softening. "How is Virginia?"

"Not well. I'm afraid that with everything that's happened, she's been taking it all quite hard." Wolfguard explained rubbing his face with a little bit of exasperation. 

"I can hardly blame her... I can't imagine what she's going through right now." she replied solemnly. Wolfguard only nodded in agreement. "And your eldest?"

"Mycroft will pull through, the physicians say. Though it will take a miracle for him to keep his leg." He answered sighing softly. "Virginia spends all day fussing over him. I think it's her way of coping with it all."

"Well, Sherlock is more than welcome to stay as long as you need." Amanda promised stepping closer and giving the man a hug. This was very surprising to John. She didn't hug anyone but him and Harry. The man hugged her back and it looked like he was doing everything in his power to keep from crying. 

"I can take her back at the end of summer, but this seems like the safest place for her while we get the kingdom back on its feet." he explained shakily. "I'll also stay a few days to help her get situated. It would be rude of me to drop her off with you."

"I wouldn't have it any other way." Amanda soothed, patting his back. "Your travels will be made infinitely safer if you're well rested when you return."

"Thank you, Amanda." Wolfguard murmured, finally stepping out of her embrace. He took in a quaking breath and turned his attention to John, putting on a friendly smile. "And this strapping young lad must be Prince Johnathan Hamish Watson, no doubt." 

"Yes, John, sweetie, say hello to your new friend." Amanda said, turning to look at John. This happened to be the very last thing on the planet that John wanted to do. If saying hello confirmed this frightening little girl to be his friend, he would rather not. He swallowed nervously and tried to hide behind his mother's skirts. This was unusual for him. John was usually the perfect prince. Her brow furrowed and she stiffly guided him in front of her, holding him by the shoulders since he looked like he was about to bolt for it.

"Maybe Sherlock should start the introductions, Sherlock, dear?" The little girl looked up from the spot on the ground she had been staring at as if brought to life for the first time since John had seen her before returning to her dazed state, looking at John, but somehow not. 

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Prince John." Sherlock said almost mechanically, dipping down into a stiff curtsy. John held back a sigh as he knew he absolutely had to return social graces now.

"The pleasure is all mine, Princess Sherlock." he said through his teeth, bowing. He looked at his mother, hoping that would satisfy her, but as her eyebrow arched in expectation, he got his answer. With an annoyed sigh he turned back to Sherlock, took her hand in his own and brought it too his lips. He dropped it as quickly as he could and turned to his mother with a pleading look in his eyes. 

"Can I go practice swords with Mike now?" he practically begged. Amanda had an almost amused smile at her son's antics. 

"I suppose... but please let Sherlock accompany you." the Queen answered. John looked back at Sherlock and his shoulders dropped in disappointment. This was not his idea of fun. 

"Come on, princess. Let's go." he muttered, trudging off to the training yard with her following behind almost numbly. 

He would glance behind his shoulder to see if she was still trailing behind him and each time he looked at her it sent a chill down his spine. She was the scariest girl he'd ever seen. He didn't even know that girls could be scary. One thing was sure in his mind though, he definitely had to figure out a way to convince his mother to break off the marriage agreement. He couldn't marry such a scary girl.

Mike smiled when he saw John, but almost immediately expression was soured as he saw the little girl following him. 

"Who is this, then?" he asked John with a furrowed brow. gesturing to the girl with wild, black curls. 

"This is Princess Sherlock. I guess she's staying with us until the end of summer." John explained with a very heavy sigh. 

"She doesn't really look like a princess." Mike mumbled. 

"Lord Stamford, I shouldn't have to be telling you this, but that was not a very nice thing to say." a stern voice said behind them.

"S-sorry, Lord Lestrade." Mike replied in a squeaky voice. 

"I'm hardly the one you should be apologizing to, Lord Stamford." Lestrade stated seriously.

"R-right... Sorry, princess." he murmured awkwardly. 

"Much better." Lestrade said approvingly.

"Lord Lestrade, may we practice swords?" John asked hopefully.

"I'm not sure that's the best idea, Prince John." Lestrade answered seriously. "That would exclude your guest."

"Sherlock doesn't mind. Do you, Sherlock?" John pleaded, daring himself to face his unsettling companion. She looked up from the ground once again and shook her head before moving to sit on the grass under a tree not too far off from where they'd be practicing, once again finding interest in the soil in front of her. John looked at Mike and shrugged. 

It was several wonderful hours of swinging wooden swords. Occasionally, Lestrade would stop the drills to go and check on the princess, but other than that, it was perfect. John and Mike would use the break to talk about their new guest and they had both come to the conclusion that they didn't like her. Mike had said that she acted like an animated corpse and John had to agree. She seemed very lifeless. 

And that was how the next few days went down. John and Mike would go off and do something, Sherlock would follow at the insistence of Queen Amanda, and then she'd just sit there and stare at nothing while John and Mike did their very best to pretend that the gloomy raincloud of a girl wasn't actually there.

Wolfguard had left earlier that morning, cutting off any hope of him changing his mind and taking his daughter back to wherever they had come from. John and Mike weren't about to let it get them down, though. 

"We should go to the base. We haven't been since she got here." Mike suggested as they wandered around the courtyard.

"Yeah, but I really don't want Sherlock seeing the base." John muttered, glancing behind him at the zone-out girl.

"That's easy, so we declare a rule where girls aren't allowed." Mike said coolly. John thought about it and nodded. Yes, that did sound like a pretty good plan. 

"Alright then, let's go." he agreed, and they started running off to a tree house in the distance.

Sherlock followed behind until John stopped her.

"Sorry, princess, but girls aren't allowed in our base." John said seriously. Sherlock looked between him and Mike several times before grabbing John's wrist, bring his hand to her mouth and biting him hard. 

John let out a yelp, shaking the little five year old girl off of him and then running off to find his mother with tears in his eyes.

"Mama! Sherlock bit me!" John bellowed when he finally found his mother in the library. Amanda looked up and blinked in shock. 

"Let me see." she murmured, examining the bitemark on his hand with a raised brow. "Did you provoke her?"

"I... may have told her that girls aren't allowed in my secret base..." John admitted with a soft sigh. 

"Oh, John..." Amanda sighed, shaking her head. She brushed his hair out of his face with her fingers. "That wasn't very kind to do."

"I know, but I don't like her. She's terrifying! All she does is sit there like a doll." John ranted haughtily, waving his arms about to further demonstrate his point. His mother gave him a long pointed stare and his shoulders sank. "I know I haven't treated her very nicely. And I know you want us to get married in the future... But I don't think that I can."

"I know that she may seem a bit odd to you, and a little unsettling too, but it isn't fair to judge someone by their oddities." she admonished. "You are going to be the ruler of this kingdom someday, it's okay to make mistakes now so you can learn from them, but I would like you to try harder with Sherlock. From what Wolfguard told me, she's usually a very social, inquisitive, and active girl. I think under normal circumstances the two of you would get along well."

"Tell that to my bitemark." John grumbled, rubbing at it gently. He shook his head. "She's nothing like that."

"Well, I did say under normal circumstances." Amanda pointed out with a small chuckle, ruffling his hair affectionately.

"What do you mean?" he questioned with narrowed eyes. He could tell there was something that his mother wasn't telling him. She paused a moment, looking over him as if considering something.

"Well... she's been through a very traumatic experience recently." she offered as explanation finally. John couldn't even guess what that meant.

"Traumatic?" he asked, eyebrows arching in curiosity. Amanda brought her hand to her chin as she thought a moment about how best to explain this concept to a seven year old. John was a little young to know about these things... but then again, Sherlock was unfortunately terribly young to experience them.

"Something really terrible happened to her, and the rest of her family for that matter." she explained, bringing John to sit on her lap. "It was a horrifying thing for her and she's trying her very best to figure out if she's allowed to still be herself."

"Why wouldn't she be allowed to be herself?" John's brows knit together in confusion. 

"Because her world is very different now. Parts of it have been stolen from her and she can never get them back." she answered, combing his hair back and hugging him closer. "I know that she may seem scary now, but it's only because she is very scared. She doesn't know who to trust. Will you please try to be nicer to her, for me?"

"Alright... I try." he agreed slowly. His mother's words made no sense to him, but he figured he could at least reassure her.

The rest of the day had gone by rather uneventfully in comparison to earlier that afternoon. Mike and John had decided not to go to their secret base after all, but since John's hand still ached, they couldn't train with Lord Lestrade either, much to John's chagrin. Sherlock was back to her boring, unsettling self, staring off at nothing, even during meals, barely touching her food, and no matter how hard John tried, he just didn't understand her or whatever traumatic thing had happened to her. By his mother's tone, he had figured that whatever it was, it was best for him not to ask about it, no matter how curious he was.

It was now very late at night, or perhaps it was very early in the morning, and John had found himself awake. The sound that had startled him was a crying sound that must've been outside his bedroom door. He yawned heavily trying to ignore it, but the more empathetic side of him couldn't ignore it for long and soon he pushed himself out of bed and padded over to his bedroom door. He opened it just a crack and peeked out, but couldn't see anything. So he opened it wider and looked down the hall in the direction the sound was coming from.

Sherlock was laying on the cold, stone floor outside what had been Wolfguard's room during his stay. It was so rare for him to hear her voice that he didn't even realize that it was her until he spotted her there. She was curled around a pillow, tears streaming down her pale cheeks, and John actually felt bad for her. She must've missed her dad, he figured. He knew that if his mother had left him in a strange place by himself, he'd probably be in a similar state. He hesitated a moment, trying to decide if he should just close the door and try and go back to sleep... but something told him it would be a long time before Sherlock stopped crying, and also that it wouldn't be very nice to ignore someone in such a state of distress.

"Sherlock?" he murmured quietly, trying not to startle her. It didn't work because she looked up with this surprised, doe-eyed horror on her face, looking like she was about to bolt. "Sorry... I didn't mean to surprise you."

She settled down if only a little, going back to sniffling as he slowly made his way over to her. He sat down next to her, still giving her a foot or two of space, but trying his best to be - he wasn't sure - comforting?

She had spent a lot of time crying heavily, sobs sometimes racking her entire, small body, but his tiredness caught up to him bit by bit until every cry dimmed in the haze of his sleep deprivation and his eyelids grew heavier and heavier. And he couldn't say for certain when he finally drifted off for the rest of the night, there against the wall in the hallway.


End file.
